A Look Inside & Component Analysis

Before reading this page, we strongly suggest a look at this article, which will help you understand the internal components of a PSU much better. Our main tool for the disassembly of the PSU is a Thermaltronics TMT-9000S soldering and rework station. It is of extreme quality and is equipped with a matching de-soldering gun. With such equipment in hand, breaking apart every PSU is like a walk in the park!


This unit uses a budget-centric platform from Sirfa, codenamed HPJ. We have come across the platform before, in a Rosewill Photon-1200 review, and were not left terribly satisfied by its performance. Since it is a low-cost platform, it doesn't use a cutting-edge design. In the primary side, Sirfa avoided the use of an LLC resonant converter for a nice efficiency boost, so we don't expect much in terms of efficiency. Things look better in the secondary side since a synchronous design and DC-DC converters for the minor rails are used. The filtering section hasn't been compromised on, though, with nothing but high quality Japanese caps.


The first part of the EMI filter is on the AC receptacle and includes two Y caps and an X cap. On the latter is a CM02X IC that blocks currents through the cap's discharge resistor when AC voltage is connected, which reduces energy losses on the bleeding resistor. The second part of the EM filter—on the main PCB—consists of two X and two Y caps, two CM chokes, and an MOV right after the bridge rectifiers.


The bridge rectifiers, two GBJ1506, are installed onto a dedicated heatsink. These bridges can handle up to 30 A combined, which easily covers the PSU's requirements.


Three Infineon SPW24N60C3 fets and two CREE C3D08060A boost diodes are used in the APFC converter. The two bulk caps are by Rubycon (400V, 390uF, 2000h @ 105 °C, MXH), and their combined capacity is 780uF. We didn't find any inrush current protection, which is usually an NTC thermistor and an electromagnetic relay for highly efficient PSUs. So given the high capacity of the bulk caps, we expect inrush currents to be high as well.


The primary switchers are two Infineon SPW24N60C3 fets. The combination of an PFC/PWM controller is a Champion CM6800TX, a pretty old IC that is nowadays mostly used in Bronze efficiency units. This IC is installed on a small vertical board.


Two heatsinks in the secondary side hold eight Infineon IPP034NE7N3 G fets that rectify the +12V rail. The DC-DC converters that regulate the minor rails are installed on the modular board in order to reduce power losses due to cabling. Each VRM uses four Infineon IPD060N03L G fets, and the common PWM controller is an ANPEC APW7159.

As has already been stated, Sirfa didn't compromise on the quality of its filtering caps, which will increase this unit's reliability and performance. We found nothing but Japanese caps from Nippon Chemi-Con, both electrolytic and polymer, in the secondary side. All electrolytics are rated at 105°C, which will have them last for quite a while.


The standby PWM controller is by Power Integrations, and its model number is TOP256EN. It isn't installed on a heatsink. However, even with an open frame design, it can handle up to 86 W. The regulation of the 5VSB rail is taken care of by a PFR 30L45CT.


Housekeeping is done by a SITI PS223 IC, which is among the very few supporting OTP (Over Temperature Protection) out of the box. It also supports OCP (Over Current Protection) for up to two +12V rails; however, this PSU only has one.


On the modular board's primary side are nine polymer and two small electrolytic caps by Chemi-Con. All of them are used for filtering purposes, along with the two coils that belong to the VRM circuits that regulate the minor rails. It is nice to see quality caps in budget-oriented platforms like this one.


Soldering quality is decent overall given this unit's price tag, and we thankfully didn't find any long component leads. There is also a Unisonic LM393L dual differential comparator on this side of the PCB.


The fan is by Globe Fan and the sticker on it reads "Fluid Dynamic Bearing" in large letter. According to its model number it should be a plain sleeve-bearing fan but indeed it uses a Fluid Dynamic Bearing. Apparently Globe Fan made some changes internally and they just didn't change the model number on the sticker. From the moment the fan is a true FDB one this isn't of high importance, although it can easily bring confusion to reviewers (including us of course). This is a medium-speed fan that runs a pretty aggressive fan profile.